Many people are attracted to the lives of roadies because they assume they become friends with the band by association. According to author Emily Brown in "A Day in the Life of a Roadie," "Everyone wants to be a roadie, or at least look like one." Roadies can get attention from people who came to see the band. Some people assume that getting close with a roadie will get them close to the band.
Author Emily Brown interviewed crew member for the band Ben Folds Five who said their work involved asking, do we "put the piano at about three feet? Ten for the riser?" Roadies seem close to the band because they spend their work day putting musical instruments in the right place and making sure the instruments work well for the band. For some roadies, touching a musician's instrument is the closest they will get to communicating with the band members.
Regardless of how close roadies get with the band, they are indispensable to them. Author Waterstones at coldplaying.net states that "if it's true that behind every great man there is a great woman, then behind every great band, there's a similarly skilled road crew." The technical skills that a roadie provides help the band mates preserve quality time to be creative. Roadies give the band support to keep their shows running smoothly.
According to Roadrunner Records article "Life of a Roadie," some roadies including Jef Hickey, roadie to Motorhead, Twisted Sister and Megadeth, become attracted to a rock 'n' roll lifestyle. They can easily become fascinated with the band mates' lifestyles, which varies depending on the band. Heavy rock bands are rumored to engage in a dangerous lifestyle with hard drugs and casual sex, which their roadies sometimes enjoy, too.
Roadies have been helping bands for many years. Some of the most famous roadies include Joseph "Red Dog" Campbell who toured with The Allman Brothers Band. Red Dog was an important roadie who was mentioned in the movie Almost Famous by name. Another famous roadie was Pete Watts, the main sound engineer to Pink Floyd. Watts can be heard laughing between songs in the band's album Dark Side of the Moon. His daughter is Naomi Watts, a successful model and actress who accompanied her father on tour in her youth.